Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty
On social media, Fereidoun “Fred” Khalilian, 51, appeared to have it all. Styling himself as “Prince Fred,” Khalilian posted about trips to Paris and Dubai, driving luxury cars, dating models, and hanging out with rappers Akon, Mally Mall and Tyga, singers Usher and Demi Lovato, actors Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, and musician David Guetta.
Khalilian, who claimed to have fled Iran as a child and spent time in a German refugee camp, made a name for himself in Florida, where in the mid-2000s he co-owned Club Paris with Paris Hilton and palled around with Tiger Woods. Now, his LinkedIn states he is an “entertainment agent” and “chairman and CEO” of Blockchain Consulting Group LLC.
But behind the glitz and the glamor there was a darker story. Over the last two decades Khalilian has had a string of encounters with law enforcement, and run multiple frauds, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Each time, he has managed to reinvent himself, as an entrepreneur, nightlife investor, and most recently, crypto-bro.